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Former county supervisor Brooks Firestone confirmed rumors that he’s seriously considering running in the next election against Lois Capps, the Democrat who’s represented Santa Barbara in Congress since 1998. Firestone, a moderate Republican who has feuded with the hard-line conservatives in his own party almost as vehemently as he’s crossed swords with Santa Barbara’s Democratic and environmental establishment, said he’s alarmed by the course the country is taking with President Barrack Obama in the White House and the Democrats in control.

“If you aren’t concerned about the debate over health care now taking place, then you’re simply not paying attention,” said Firestone. “I’m troubled by the lack of intellectual integrity, managerial integrity; and the total adherence to power groups.” Firestone said he recognizes the need for health insurance reform and is not troubled that the federal government could play a major role. But he questioned the power that unions and other power groups have exerted over the decision-making process.

Firestone said he hasn’t made up his mind about running, but that he hasn’t heard of anyone with as much experience as he has in government and in business displaying any interest in the race. Capps, he conceded, is all but unbeatable, having trounced all opponents without breaking a sweat since the district boundaries were redrawn just prior to the 2000 election. Capps’s district — the 23rd — hugs a thin stretch of coast along Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties where Democrats comprise a strong majority of registered voters. Critics of the re-districting refer to the 23rd as “the ribbon of shame.”

“It’s probably the worst idea I’ve had,” said Firestone. “Look, I’m 73, I’m retired, I’m singing, and I just finished a book of animal stories I’d been working on for 25 years. I don’t need this,” he said. “But I’m very concerned about where our country is headed.” Firestone said he’s been encouraged to run, though he declined to state by whom.

Should he decide to throw his hat into the ring, it will not be the first time Firestone has run for Congress. The first time was in 1998, when Lois Capps was running to fill the vacancy created when her husband Walter Capps — elected to Congress in 1996 — died in 1997. At that time, Firestone was running for the office of lieutenant governor of California. Republican bigwigs including former President Gerald Ford urged him to run for Congress instead, for the good of the party. But Firestone — who during his two terms in the State Assembly had garnered a reputation as a moderate — was slaughtered in the Congressional primary elections by fellow Republican Tom Bordonaro, an arch conservative.

“The right wing of the Republican Party rose up and killed me,” Firestone recalled. Bordonaro subsequently lost to Capps, about whom Firestone commented, “I’ve been going along with Lois as all right, no big deal, we can survive it, very liberal, not brilliant but okay, we can get along. But now I see what that means for the whole country. I’m worried.”

Following his defeat in 1998, Firestone ran for 3rd District Supervisor, campaigning as a “bridge builder” between the environmentalists and the agricultural interests, whose nonstop political battles defined the tone and tenor of county politics. Once in office, Firestone did little to reach out to the environmental side of the equation, however, and relations between the factions grew even more polarized under his watch. Well before Firestone’s second term expired, he held a press conference to announce that he intended to seek re-election in attempt to quell rumors that he’d run out of steam for the job. But shortly after that, he announced that he would not, in fact, be running after all.

This on-again, off-again posture hampered efforts by party stalwarts to wage a unified campaign behind one candidate. As a result, two conservative candidates ran against Doreen Farr, who was the liberal candidate embraced by enviros north and south of the Gaviota Tunnel. Farr won decisively; the candidate backed by Firestone, Dave Smyser, all but disappeared in the effort.

Comments

So, Firestone is just waking up in 2010 to discover, to his shock and dismay, that "power groups" are running Congress? And the one power group he singles out for disdain -- unions -- is the one representing millions of working and middle class people who otherwise are ignored and harmed by those captive to those other corporate power groups? Well, let Mr. Firestone do a little research into which "power groups" got us into the financial and health care messes we face today, 'cause it sure wasn't the unions, and it had a lot more to do with the malfeasance of the malefactors of his own party than it did with anything the Democrats could have imagined, let alone enacted. So, if his campaign would be about "change" in the influence game, he ought to give his antennae and party affiliation a reality check.

Interesting comment by Firestone about the right wing of his party upsetting his 1998 congressional bid. But conservative voters seem now to be more factionalized than ever. Other parties have their own internal friction as well, but we've been accustomed to more cohesion on the right. Four years from now, it'll be interesting to see what the new conservative brew is like ... something like a tasty Chimay Ale? Or more like a Firestone non-alcoholic beer?

Firestone may be (relatively) (what is this, age discrimination?) old, and a Republican, but he's certainly not part of the Ridiculous Right and he's not Lois Capps. He was a voice of reason on a the Board of Supes, ready to object when the Looney Lefters (Janet) or professional weathervanes (that would be Salud) got going down their usual path. He's got my vote.

Good reminder, David Pritchett, that Firestone, if he lives in Santa Ynez, does not live in the district. Perhaps he will do as Lanny Ebenstein did 4 years ago in his race for SB mayor, rent an apartment in town.

Firestone is wealthy enough that he might well already own property in the 23rd District, or, he can rapidly purchase some.

Normally he is relatively rational. I wish he had applied his current thinking on health care back in 2001-2003 to the Bush Wars, lack of habeas corpus, extraordinary rendition, etc. I guess the american way of politics only bothers him if little people are the beneficiaries, rather than General Dynamics and Blackwater.

No, the fact that you are consistently take right wing positions and attitudes (like your erroneous characterization of Joe Hill's comment, or your contribution to the Frimpong discussion recently) marks you as a right wing partisan. Duh.

And here we go again. You disagree with me = you must be a Republican.

How does pointing out that JoeHill's rant is unoriginal make me "right wing"? How does pointing out that the author of the Frimpong piece neglected to mention a key piece of evidence make me "right wing"?

You are just another mindless partisan drone trying to fit everything into your black and white worldview. Boring and unoriginal.

I hope Mr. Firestone does run so I can not vote for him , again. Joining North County overdevelopement rubber stampers Gray and Centeno in allowing the rediculously oversized Gaviota mansion project to proceed without proper review was his way to stick it to the Southcoasters he seems to disdain so much . Luckily , an Appellate Court ruling sided with the Gaviota Coast Conservancy and put the brakes on this 12,000 ft. + behemoth , plus guesthouse and barn . Topping off this lovely monstosity was to be a 10 ft. by 600 ft. wall of earth pushed up to lessen the visual impact . His past votes as Supervisor should show Santa Barbarans that he will not act in our best interest as a potential Congressman .

Please Brookes, run. We NEED you. There's a VACUMN of common sense running roughshod over my hometown and county... and having met you in person and followed your policies I see you to be fair-minded and willing to take tough stances. (I can hear the anti-Reaganites readying their salvos now.) Well let me give you some ammo. If Brookes runs I will join with every force available to defeat that dim-witted dish-rag go-along-to-get-along Democrat Capps. YOU BETCHA!!!

Who else WOULD run for office these days given the RIP & SHRED attacks candidates must endure"

Oh I don't know, maybe someone who won't give the government more power to intrude into our lives.

Sorry to bring up the issues of rendition and the Patriot Act. I'll be more considerate of the authoritarian types next time. Sometimes I get these delusions that I live in a country where people care about freedom.

"How about the freedom to choose your doctor, your treatment plan, your children's financial wellbeing... Clausen, 'rendition' is your fiction-mantra of the day. Sorry to be so down to earth."

How about having the freedoms you mentioned AND having freedom from rendition and other war-related infringement of rights? It won't happen as long as people are willing to accept the baggage both political parties carry.

Firestone said he’s been encouraged to run, though he declined to state by whom.

I Wonder who this is coming from , could it be a close district candidate trying to sway attention elsewhere???Politics as usual. Watch out for a strong Republican primary he isnt the only one Qualified .

"And here we go again. You disagree with me = you must be a Republican.

How does pointing out that JoeHill's rant is unoriginal make me "right wing"?" -Krakatoa- (commenting on truth_machine)

Krakatoa, truth_machine is an internet troll who while occasionally making lucid points and periodically mounting good arguments, would rather insult people and ascribe to them character traits that don't exist.

Given some of the nasty things truth_machine has posted about other bloggers (including myself) I'd say she was in a pretty good mood on this blog.

Krakatoa, I apologize. While it is not illogical to assume you are right-wing and/or Republican when you take issue with pro-union, anti-Republican comments, I guess you're just an empty-headed reactionary fool, and I withdraw my remarks about your political party affiliation, though you haven't actually denied it or stated what your affiliation might be. I understand you are under no obligation to reveal that information.

You responded to my original post with "JoeHill, you've never had an original thought in your life." It is a wonder that you could know that, since the best you could possibly know about my thoughts is what you could have read in the relatively recent past here at the Indy. You don't know my age, or much else about me. Overall, there is far more support for my limited conclusion -- though I'm happy to withdraw it (albeit you'd be a welcome addition to the brilliance that is Republicanism in the year 2010) -- than for your prejudiced ignorant sweeping inventory of my life's thoughts.

As for hackery, I suppose that's in the eye of the beholder, usually an empty critique when one cannot attack the content of the thought. Which does seem to be your approach throughout this thread.

After all, conceding that my thought above wasn't "priginal" -- how many thoughts truly are? -- do you have anything substantive to say about why they're not correct or valid?